Such Lengths
by Dreaming-Of-A-Nightmare
Summary: Before his fight with Greed, Ed gets asked a few out-of-the-blue questions by the Homunculus. .:. a re-write of a small scene in ep. 34, 'Theory of Avarice.' Strongly hinted Elricest.


**A/N: …Since I don't have season 2 on DVD yet, my sister and I started re-watching the episodes on Hulu/FUNimation. And now that I officially have an Elricest-centered mind, I thought some of the things Greed said before his fight with Ed were very… **_**intriguing.**_** #grins#**

**So here's a quickie based off of a short moment in episode 34, 'The Theory of Avarice.'**

**I love making alternate versions of scenes. LULZ.**

* * *

As sickly and close to death as he feels, Greed masks it with a practiced smirk as the young blond alchemist comes rushing into Dante's ballroom.

"I've found you, Greed!" the boy snaps, hate littering his tone. He spies Dante's elderly shell split open in the corner. He gasps at the gore, but is soon scowling. "What the hell? – Explain this, Greed! What happened here?"

The Homunculus slides on his sunglasses to hide his tired eyes. His stomach feels empty and his body weak without the Stones and so near his own bones. He forces a smirk and a light air to his voice. "Beats me," he utters as carelessly as possible, "I could ask you the same thing, Kid."

"You did that to her, didn't you?" the oldest Elric brother accuses, his golden eyes sharp in the dim lighting.

Greed knows that it's pointless to respond. He simply turns around fully and looks the fifteen-year-old in the eye.

"Are you going to answer me?" Edward tries again, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Blame me if you want," the older male replies dully, "I really don't care."

Edward mutters something about the old woman being helpless, a sort of how-could-you hero speech. Greed dusts it off his shoulders like dirt; he can feel what's going to happen here pretty soon. The timing is all too perfect: his bones, the double array, the boy. Death is waiting for Greed, it seems. And all too eagerly.

Smirking, Greed decides to have a little fun before his death. He can see straight through Edward Elric's guise; he knows where the boy's true feelings lie. So, as if it were a statement of fact rather than a question, Greed poses, "Why don't you answer a question of mine instead: why do you go to such lengths to protect your younger brother? Most people would have given up by now."

Greed watches as Edward's eyes widen for a moment, as if being caught red-handed. He throws back, "What does that have to do with anything?"

He's got the boy now. Greed grins knowingly. "Heh." He looks at the boy over his sunglasses and says implicitly, "Feelings can be hard to explain, can't they?" But his smile fades, because he notices the way the alchemist is stiffening, and not in the usual way one does when confronting an enemy; no, Edward is tensing with clenched fists and a deadpan expression, as if hiding something. Greed knows that expression all too well.

"Just… what are you talking about?" Edward says, his voice hard and angled, but his undertone something much softer. His eyes grow a little desperate. "What have you done with Al? Tell me!"

So his suspicions are true; it's written all over the blond's body language. Greed sighs. "Don't change the subject, Kid. But if you want him back, you know what it takes. You're gonna have to kill me. But first, you could be at least_ a little _cooperative with me by answering my questions." He raises a finger and wages it back and forth. "Tick-tock, Alchemist. The clock's ticking; I don't have all night."

"Tch," Edward scowls, his jaw clenching tight and a frown consuming his brows. "Why should I tell _you_ anything?"

"Because I know where your precious brother is, Stupid," Greed sighs, stating the obvious. "So c'mon, you can be honest with me, pal: what's on your mind? You seem so troubled when little Alphonse isn't by your side. You must really love him," he smirks, "To take him back from The Gate and attaching his soul to whatever you could, and then proceeding to go after the Stone to make amends for losing his body. In fact… I don't think I've ever seen a brotherly love as strong as yours, and I've lived a _long_ time."

The Homunculus watches with twisted satisfaction as the teen's face grows increasingly guilty, all of his sins displayed in his widening eyes and on his parting lips.

Greed snorts, "But hey, I'm not one to judge. If you're into that kind of stuff – incest, I mean – or if you just couldn't help yourself because he's '_too cute_,' that's fine by me. I'd just like to know if I'm assuming too much, or…" And he lets the sentence drift off between them, hanging in the air, a sour truth.

Edward's fists clench abnormally, painfully tight and he says lowly, darkly: "It's none of your business how I feel about my brother. You have no right to assume anything at all!"

"Well, if it's any consolation to you, I already have my answers from the way you're acting. So let's get this fight over with, yeah?" Greed says cockily.

And by the expression of sheer detestation on the oldest Elric's face, Greed knows that part of this battle is already won.

* * *

**Real quotes from the English dub:**

**Greed: "Blame me if you want. I really don't care."**

**Edward: "How could you? She was helpless…"**

**Greed: "Tell me, Edward Elric, how could you go so far to protect your little brother?"**

**Edward: "And what does **_**that**_** have to do with anything?"**

**Greed: "Feelings can be hard to explain." Pause, serious expression.**

**Edward: (we can't see his face as he says,) "What are you talking about?" Tenses. "What have you done with Al?"**

**Greed: "If you want him back, come on: you know what it takes." Both get into fighting stances, and the episode continues.**

**But I just thought that this little conversation was… interesting. Even in the anime canon. Hahaha~**

* * *

**Omake!**

**Greed: "Aw, you love Alphonse, don't you~?"**

**Edward: "No, I don't!"**

**Greed: "Aww, yes you do! I can see it in your eyes! You're smitten with him, aren't you~?"**

**Edward: (pouting) "No, no, no! I can't –"**

**Greed: (smirking) "Can't? Why, because it's taboo? I think you've done plenty of that in alchemy as far as I've heard, so what's one more taboo~? Just admit it, you loooooove him."**

**Edward: (blushing furiously) (mutters under breath,) "Okay, maybe… just… a little…" (hangs head in shame)**

**Greed: "How adorable! You know what, let's just skip this fight, eh? Al's in the woods. I let him go. Now go give him a biiiiig hug and kiss for me, okay~?"**

**Edward: (runs over and bops Greed on the head, even if the man's a shield and it does nothing) "Shut up!"**


End file.
